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New Capitol Hill Library opens to public

Post Date:10/05/2017 4:14 PM

Mayor Mick Cornett and other civic leaders cut the ribbon Thursday on the new Capitol Hill Library, officially opening a new community cornerstone for south Oklahoma City.

The 17,000-square-foot library (327 SW 27th Street) has about 9,400 square feet more public space than the aging building it replaces, which opened in 1951. It’s among other recent high-profile public investments in the south side like the second MAPS 3 Senior Health & Wellness Center (4021 S Walker Ave.) and the Southern Oaks Learning and Wellness Campus (6700 S Hudson Ave.), both also under construction.

“For 65 years, the Capitol Hill Library has educated residents on the south side. This new, modern building provides collaborative spaces and the best technology to the current and future generations of south Oklahoma City residents,” said Mayor Cornett.

The expanded library has a collection of more than 35,000 books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and other forms of physical media. It has computers, a community room with seating for up to 250 that can be divided into two spaces, plus several study rooms, a room for teenagers and a bright and cheerful room for children.

It will host bilingual story times and play times, be a source of homework help for school-aged students and be the site of “Maker Mondays” – a time for children and teenagers to get together to make projects inspired by science, technology, engineering, art and math.

“Libraries aren’t just museums for books. They are spaces for interactive learning, and this library is no different. The Capitol Hill Library is central to the after-school experience of many of Oklahoma City’s children,” said Kay Bauman, interim executive director of Metropolitan Library System. “We’re happy to provide a wonderful space where children can learn, relax and work together with friends.”

The $4.3 million library has soaring ceilings and architecture that maximizes natural light, along with an expanded parking lot. Construction was funded by Oklahoma City’s 2007 bond program.

Guernsey was the project’s architect, and Wynn Construction was the general contractor.